Holding means for sheet material



Dec. 1, 1964 F. A. HUTTER ETAL HOLDING MEANS FOR SHEET MATERIAL.

Filed July 11, 1963 INVENTORJ:

Wm {M 153 mm. A Harrase Ebmaeo JM4ALEA'.

United States Patent Office 3,l59,2l Patent-ea Dec. 1, 1964 3,159,281 HOLDHNG MEANS FUR SHEET MATERIAL Frank A. flutter, 6615 Franklin Ave, Hollywood 28,

Calif., and Edward J. Mallek, 2833 /2 Huron St, Los

Angeles, Calif., assignors of one-third to harles G.

Hutter, Beverly Hills, Calif.

Filed July 11, 1963, der. No. 29 5,3 36 l2 (Ilaims. (Cl. 211-45) A prior devices operated in a generally satisfactory manner but included several disadvantages or limitations including difiicult release of the towel, special care was required for insertion of the towel into the device, and pulling or tugging the towel form a sidewise or lateral direction either caused unwanted release of the towel or ultimately damaged parts of the holding device. In this respect it should be noted that when a towel is depending from a holder device of this type the towel may often be used without releasing the towel from the device as by wiping ones hands on the towel from either a position in front of the towel holder or from the side of the towel holder. Such use of a towel for wiping ones hands is frequently done in bowling alleys, in kitchens and by bartenders in bars.

The present invention contemplates a holder means for towels or the like which is so constructed and arranged that the disadvantages of prior devices are obviated and new advantages are achieved. The towel holder means of this invention includes a rugged construction adapted to be mounted on a wall surface without protruding therefrom in a manner which might constitute an obstruction or present a hazardous condition. The present towel holder mounts on a wall with a minimum of protrusion and that part which does protrude has an external configuration which minimizes injury or damage to a person working adjacent thereto as a bartender at a bar. The present towel holder includes a towel receiving and release opening which extends through approximately 360 to facilitate the introduction or acceptance of a towel portion into the holder from substantially any direction in front of the towel holder. The present holder is so designed that guiding the towel portion into the holder opening is facilitated. The present invention includes a towel holding zone of relatively wide area formed by internal converging sector-like surface portions which cooperate with the ball for trapping and gripping the towel portion. The holding means also includes a towel release zone formed by enlarged recess means which so facilitate the release of the towel that a towel may be quickly released from the holder by substantially a single uniform movement of the towel.

The primary object of the present invention is to design and provide a novel holder means for towels and the like.

An object of the invention is to disclose and provide a holder means which embodies a rugged construction, is inexpensively and easily manufactured, and may be readily assembled and attached to a supporting wall surface.

Another object of the invention is to disclose and provide a towel holder means comprising essentially three parts which are readily assembled and which do not require special tooling or close tolerances for fabrication thereof.

Another object of the invention is to disclose and provide a holder means adapted to positively hold the towel while it is being pulled during wiping of the hands from any varying directions.

A specific object of the invention is to design and provide a rugged towel holder construction adapted to readily accept a towel for holding and to quickly release the towel when desired.

Many other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following dcscription of the drawings in which an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a holder means embodying this invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken in a vertical plane including and passing through the axis of the holder means in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken in the vertical plane indicated by lines Ill-lll of FIG. 2.

The description of the invention is made with reference to a towel; it will be understood however that the holder means of this invention may be used to hold any relatively thin sheet-like material such as fabrics, paper, cardboards, metal sheet, and such material may include notes, hats, signs, towels, tools, etc. It is intended that the holder means have substantial universal use as a holder for sheet-like objects and that its exterior appearance and shape may be subject to change and modification for providing desired ornamentation. The following description is exemplary and not limiting,

In the drawings a holder means embodying this invention is generally indicated at 10. Holder means 10 comprises front and back circular disc-like members 11 and 12 respectively held in axial spaced relation by hub means 14. Members ll and 12 may be made of any suitable material such as a rigid plastic or metal. Rigid plastic materials may include styrene, ethyl propylene and other plastic materials capable of being molded and providing a strong rigid non-deformable disc-like member. Metal materials may include aluminum. In some instances it may even be desirable to employ a hard wood.

Front and back members 11 and 12 in axial spaced relation define an internal chamber generally indicated at 15 having a peripheral opening 16 extending for approximately 360. In this example a strut 17 connects the tops of members 11 and 12 and interrupts the continuity of peripheral opening 16. Strut 17 serves to reinforce and hold front member 11 in selected spaced parallel relation with respect to back member 12. Thus peripheral opening 16 is adapted to accept or receive a towel portion through appnoximately 360.

A ball 18 is freely movable and confined in chamber 15 for serving as a releasable locking element for a towel 19 to be held by the holding means. Ball 18 may be made of suitable material such as metal or ceramic. In this example ball 18 is of steel, plated or coated with cadmium or chromium to provide a smooth surface and to resist rusting, corrosion, or any deterioration of the ball surface which might soil or stain a towel. A smooth ball surface also enhances the interengagernent of the ball and towel fabric for capture of the ball in a fold of the towel as well as facilitating release of the ball from the towel. Ball 18 has a diameter greater than the width of the peripheral opening 16 to prevent escape of ball 18 from chamber 15. Ball 18 is normally positioned by gravity at the bottom of chamber 15.

The internal chamber 15 of the holding means includes a holding zone indicated by H and a release zone indim a towel. 21 have corresponding base cone angles of not less than her. 11.

this example the included angle of theseritor-like surfaces is slightly less than 180 and greater than 90. Thus an extended holding zone is provided which is efiective against sidewise or lateral pulls as well as downward pulls 'I he'interna-l convergent surfaces 2% and and not'greater than 25". In this example the base cone angle is approximately It has been found that convergent angles of about 15 proyide the desired Wedging action for holding a towel. in the holding zone. Greater than permits the towel to be held in such a loose manner that it might become disengaged from the towel holder and when the convergent surfaces are formed surfaces in the-holding zone, namely those adjacent to the axis of the hub means 14. v facesl24 and 25 is about 1.5 times or more the diameter of wall 18 so that the release zone provides an enlarged The space between surupper portion of annular chamber 15. The release zone extends about the axis of the hub means for slightly more 1 than 180 and is then continuous with-the holding zone 5 H. If desired the internal surface 24 on front member 11 may be provided with an internal peripheral inclined surface portion 24. I

Itshould be noted that the diameter of front member 11' is slightly less than the 'diarneter' of backmemb'er 12 so that forwardly facing edge face '26 on member 12 extends radially beyond the circumference of front mem- Front member ,11 may be provided with a beveled edge face 27 which, together with the smaller diameter of front member 11 as compared to back member 12 assists guiding a towel portion toward the peripheral opening 16 and the reception of the towel portion in opening 16. v V I I Hub means 14 providing an axial connection between front and back membersll and 12 may comprise a cylindrical body 30 extending from the internal face of front member 11 and terminating, in a reducted end portion 31 providedwith a flatted surface 32 thereon. Back member 12 includes a cylindrical-boss 33 having a bore 34 adapted to receivethe reduced end 31 of cylindrical hesive applied to the mating surfaces on cylindrical body v In another example of this invention the members 11 and 12 may be connected together bya similarlyconstnucted hub means-14 provided with a through bore coaxial with the hub and adapted to receive a screw bolt which may project from the back tace of the back member 12 for attachment to the wall surface. 7 p

The back member lz may be coated with an adhesive bonding composition material at the time his desired to attach the same to a wall for tightly holding the holder means to the wall. For this purpose the holder menrber may be provided wih a small capsule of liquid adhesive, the capsule being suitably secured to the holder device for convenient ready application when desired.

Thefront face of the front member' ll' which is generally circularprovides a'suitable face for the location of any selected desirable advertising material. For this purpose the front face of the front member may either carry decals for ornamentation thereof or may bear other suitable artistic and ornamental works.

It should .be noted that the depth of the holder means 10 is not great and that its circular configuration with the beveled front edge'27 reduces the likelihood of injury to a person when it may be struck by a persons body.

When it is desired to place a towel in holder 113 an edge or other portion of the towel may be introduced into the holder through the peripheral opening 16 at any place along its circumference. When it is introduced to the chamber 15 the towel drawn against the ball 13 so as to displace the ball upward-1y and-permit the ball to fall between a towel portion and the conve-rg'ingsurfaces 29 and 2 1. 7 When the towel is then drawn downwardly the ball is urged into wedging relation with respect to the holding surfaces 20 and 21 and the towel'will be tightly held by the cooperation of the ball and the wedge surfaces. Any down pull or side pull on the towel after it is thus connected to the. holder means 10 will not release the towel because of the wide holding zone provided by the convergent sector-like surfaces. FIG. '3 shows towel 19 being held by means 10 in positions to show normal holding action and side holding action.

When it is desired to release the towel from the holder means 10 the towel may be pulled upwardly so that the ball 18 is urged into the wider portion of the holding zone and then into the release zone at the upper portion of the holder means 10. Once the ball has been dis placed into the release zone it will no longer tightly hold the folds of the towel and the towel may be readily pulled away from the holder means. Release v position of the towel and ball is also shown in FIG. 3.

. The numbers 11 and 12 may be made in square or other polygonal shape,'and maybe made to resemble other objects or things for aesthetically conforming to the decoration of the room in which it is used. Any such change in shape maybe made while retaining the essential internal configuration of the holding and release zones.

All changes and modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

We claim: g r

1. A holding means for a towel or the like comprising: front and back disc-likemembers; means connecting said members in selected spaced axialrelation; said disc-like members in said spaced relation defining an internal chainher having a peripheral opening adapted to accept a towel portion through. approximately 360; said internal charnber including a holding zone and a release zone for a towel portion; a ball normally disposed in said holding zone and having a diameter greaterthan the width of the peripheral opening to retain the ball in-saidchamber; said holding zone including convergent sector-like inter nal surfaces on said front and back members, said surfaces extending through an included angle of less than 180 and greater than said release zone including internal parallel surface portions on said m'embers spaced apart not less than 1.5 times the diameter of the ball and extending through an included angle of greater than 2. A holding means'as stated in claim 1 wherein the diameter of the front member is less than the diameter of the back member to facilitate guiding a towel p ortion into said peripheral opening.

3. A holding means as stated in claim 1 wherein said convergent surfaces on'each of said front and back mem- I bers have a base cone angle of not less than 10 and not greater than 25.

4. A holding means as'stated in claim l'wherein said convergent surfaces on said front'end back members respectively each include a base cone angleof approximately 15.

said members in selected spaced axial relation; said members defining an internal chamber having a peripheral opening adapted to accept a towel portion; said chamber including a holding zone and a release zone for the towel portion; a ball normally disposed in said holding zone and having a diameter greater than the width of the peripheral opening to retain the ball in said chamber; said holding zone including internal convergent surfaces on said front and back members; said release zone including internal parallel surface portions on said members spaced apart a distance substantially greater than the diameter of the ball; said peripheral opening leading to said holding zone and to said release zone.

6. A holding means as stated in claim 5 including a ball having a smooth slippery surface.

7. A holding means as stated in claim 6 wherein said ball comprises a steel ball plated with chromium.

8. A device for holding sheet-like material such as a towel or the like comprising: axially spaced front and back members defining therebetween a chamber having a peripheral opening; means connecting said members; a ball element within said chamber; means on said members below said connecting means cooperable with said i ball for holding such material; means on said members above said connecting means cooperable with said material for releasing said ball; said peripheral opening providing means for receiving a portion of the material through approximately 360 and providing means for withdrawing said material through approximately 180.

9. A device as stated in claim 8 including adhesive means on the back surface of said back member for attachment of the device to a wall. 7

10. A device as stated in claim 8 wherein said means connecting said members is provided with a through bore, and a screw bolt extending through said bore for engagement with a Wall for attachment of the device thereto.

11. A device as stated in claim 8 wherein said front member has a diameter less than said back member, said front member having a front beveled edge whereby guiding of a towel portion to said peripheral opening is facilitated.

12. A device as stated in claim 8 wherein said front member has a front surface adapted to carry advertising media.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

8. A DEVICE FOR HOLDING SHEET-LIKE MATERIAL SUCH AS A TOWEL OR THE LIKE COMPRISING: AXIALLY SPACED FRONT AND BACK MEMBERS DEFINING THEREBETWEEN A CHAMBER HAVING A PERIPHERAL OPENING; MEANS CONNECTING SAID MEMBERS; A BALL ELEMENT WITHIN SAID CHAMBER; MEANS ON SAID MEMBERS BELOW SAID CONNECTING MEANS COOPERABLE WITH SAID BALL FOR HOLDING SUCH MATERIAL; MEANS ON SAID MEMBERS ABOVE SAID CONNECTING MEANS COOPERABLE WITH SAID MATERIAL FOR RELEASING SAID BALL; SAID PERIPHERAL OPENING PRO- 